By Randall S. Abate, Assistant Dean for Environmental Law Studies
Malaika Moiz named first Ocean Equity LLM scholar
GW Law’s Environmental Law program is proud to be the first in the nation to offer a scholarship dedicated to supporting one Master of Laws (LLM) degree candidate each year in pursuing a thesis project focused on ocean equity. Beginning in the Fall 2025–Spring 2026 academic year, this initiative expands our program’s emphasis on environmental justice and human rights and environmental protection, empowering students to lead in the emerging field of ocean equity. Ocean equity seeks to protect the rights of communities disproportionately affected by environmental challenges. It focuses on protecting small-scale and Indigenous fishing communities’ access to fisheries, ensuring their livelihoods and cultural heritage are preserved while leveraging their stewardship of marine ecosystems to combat anthropogenic threats such as pollution, overfishing, and climate change. On a global scale, ocean equity also strives to secure equitable access to fisheries for nations in the Global South.
We are delighted to announce that Malaika Moiz from Pakistan is the inaugural recipient of the LLM scholarship in ocean equity. She will pursue an LLM in Environmental in our program in the 2025-2026 academic year and prepare her LLM thesis on an ocean equity topic. This opportunity is made possible by generous funding support from Nippon Foundation Ocean Nexus.
We caught up with Malaika to learn more about her background, her interest in this opportunity, and her post-graduation plans.
1. What interested you in the ocean equity field?
My interest in ocean equity emerged at the intersection of justice and studied experience. As a lawyer working on policymaking for environmental issues and alternative dispute resolution in Pakistan, I encountered the harsh reality of how coastal communities, especially in Sindh and Balochistan, are disproportionately burdened due to industrial overfishing, pollution, and climate change. These are not abstract issues; they are very real and urgent for developing countries. The ocean covers over 70% of the Earth and the people who depend on the ocean the most often have the least influence in how it is managed. That is what drew me to ocean equity: it is about fairness, representation, and making sure marine governance includes the voices of small-scale fishers, Indigenous groups, and vulnerable communities. Ocean equity provides the vocabulary and tools to address that imbalance. For me, this is not just an academic interest; it is a chance to contribute to solutions that promote both environmental protection and human rights.
2. What topics are you considering exploring in your thesis on ocean equity?
For my thesis, I will primarily focus on researching and proposing new legal mechanisms and frameworks to safeguard the rights of small-scale fishing communities in South Asia, with a focus on Pakistan. One of the cases that continues to resonate with me is that of the Koli community in Mumbai, whose displacement due to urbanization and coastal megaprojects reveals a failure of legal systems to protect cultural and economic ties to marine ecosystems. Similarly, the fishing communities in Karachi and Gwadar face legal invisibility, despite their longstanding stewardship of the marine environment. Many of these communities lack formal recognition or legal safeguards, even though they have lived off the ocean and responsibly managed marine resources for generations. I want to study examples of how legal systems have failed in protecting their access to marine resources and suggest ways forward that are more just and inclusive. I want to explore how international environmental law, especially instruments like UNCLOS and the Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries; human rights laws; and local laws can be established, amended, and implemented and enforced to support Indigenous communities and informal economies. These initiatives can help ensure that these communities are involved in decision-making that affects their livelihood and culture and can provide a legal framework that provides remedies when these communities’ legally protected interests have been violated.
3. What role did this ocean equity scholarship opportunity play in your decision to pursue an LLM in Environmental Law at GW Law?
With deep sincerity and immense gratitude, I can say that without the generous support of Nippon Foundation Ocean Nexus, pursuing my LLM at GW Law would not have been possible. This ocean equity scholarship is more than financial assistance; it is an investment in the future of equitable ocean governance, which is a highly commendable commitment that Nippon Foundation Ocean Nexus is making to promote ocean equity. This scholarship has allowed someone like me, coming from a developing country and a modest background, to access a world-class legal education in the heart of Washington, D.C.
I am a first-generation postgraduate student, and I have built my path with perseverance, often in the face of challenging circumstances. This scholarship has helped turn a long-held dream into reality. More than that, it has given me the confidence that my work and perspective matter. I am grateful to Nippon Foundation Ocean Nexus for recognizing my efforts and seeing potential in me to contribute to a greater cause. I carry this opportunity with immense gratitude and a deep sense of responsibility.
4. What role does this ocean equity scholarship opportunity play in planning your LLM coursework and future career path?
This LLM is a turning point in my life, not just academically, but personally and professionally.
The knowledge I will gain will help shape how I think about the law as a tool to promote justice. For my thesis, especially, I’m learning how legal systems can protect marine ecosystems while supporting the rights of those who depend on them. This opportunity is helping me become the kind of lawyer I have always aspired to be; one who not only understands the law, but can use it to empower the communities who need it most.
My thesis is just one part of this journey. With the knowledge I will gain from relevant coursework in this program such as International Environmental Law, Human Rights and Environmental Protection, Indigenous Peoples Rights’ and the Environment, and Ocean Law and Policy, I plan to deepen my understanding of relevant law and build a career focused on environmental law. This will complement my passion for and experience in the field of alternative dispute resolution to promote justice in the legal system, especially in regions where communities are most at risk. I also plan to take the required coursework to sit for the New York bar exam in 2026. Thanks to GW Law’s Environmental Law LLM program and the generous support from Nippon Foundation Ocean Nexus, I now have the foundation and will develop the network to take that work forward. I feel incredibly grateful for this opportunity.
